Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

On Labor Day Weekend we decided to finally make the long drive to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (#60 on the list). It is the largest National Park in the country, but there are only two roads that go into the park - the McCarthy Road and the Nabesna Road. They are both poorly maintained dirt roads, but we decided to take the 60 mile McCarthy Road.

We left right after work on Friday and drove past Glenallen as far as we could until it got dark. We decided to stop and camp at Liberty Falls State Recreation Area (new entry #114). That night was very clear and the stars were very bright and amazing. The next morning we woke up early and completed the short hike to the waterfall.

Afterward we got back on the highway and soon began the slow, bumpy drive along the McCarthy Road. The National Park Service recommends 3 hours to complete the 60 miles. Early on we got to see the sun rising over the Copper River (famous for its tasty Red Salmon)


We managed to complete it in around 2.5, but this is probably the worst road we have driven on in Alaska. There were even some narrow 1 lane bridges over river gorges.


After 60 miles the road just ends. There is a campsite and a couple of bed and breakfasts, but not much else. In order to get to Kennecott and McCarthy you have to cross a long foot bridge over the river that is fed from the Kennicott and Root glaciers.


From there you can either pay to take a shuttle or you can walk the .5 miles to McCarthy or 4.5 to Kennecott. Since we were going to Kennecott first we decided to pay the $10 each for the shuttle. Kennecott was a copper mining town run by the Kennecott Copper Corporation which started operations in 1903. By the time they were done, this proved to be the richest and purest concentration of copper in the world.


We toured the picturesque town along the edge of the valley.


When the town was created, they did not know they were in a valley. The Kennicott Glacier filled the valley completely. It has now receded greatly, but you can still see it in the valley. Most of what you see now is the terminal moraine, which is where all of the dirt, gravel, and rocks the glacier pushes with it are deposited. Under those hills of dirt and rock (which are not man made) is still ice. The Kennicott Glacier moved back to the left, while the smaller Root Glacier moved back to the right.


We even got to tour inside the building, including the mill where they did all of the sorting, crushing, and other processes. The technology here was very advanced for the day.


That evening we went into McCarthy to the bar (yes, there is only one bar). Everyone gathers at the bar in the evening. From the tour company guides, to people you went on tours with, to the few people that live and own land/businesses in McCarthy - everyone was there. This weekend was their final operating weekend so they brought in a live band! (exciting, huh?). McCarthy was created originally as a town to support the Kennecott Mine. Kennecott was a dry town and only workers as well as upper management's families were allowed to stay in Kennecott.

The next day we had scheduled a rafting trip, so naturally it was the only day of the weekend that was wet and very cold. We went with Copper Oar Rafting and the trip was very well done. They had some wet and warm gear for us and then we loaded into the boat. Now I was expecting we would have to row (and with how cold it was I was actually looking forward to having to move), but the guide is the only one to row. There were only 4 of us going, but since we were going to the middle of nowhere the company had to take 2 rafts for safety. We put in just South of the footbridge on the Kennicott River. From there we floated into the Nizina River and into the Nizina Canyon. Once we were in the canyon, and safely out of the wind, we stopped for lunch along the banks. The lunch was actually very nice as we had hot chocolate and sandwiches. They put up a tarp so we could be out of the rain and had portable tables (complete with tablecloths) and chairs.

After warming up and eating more than enough food we continued on our journey through the canyon. Later that afternoon we met the Chitina River and pulled ashore at a little grass airstrip. Since we had floated in the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere the only way to get back to somewhere was to fly back. So, the rafting company had arranged for the local pilot to pick us up. I did not take any pictures on the rafting trip because of the rain, but I did get a few pictures from the small plan on the way back. Typically they take the scenic route back over the Root Glacier and the 7,000 foot Stairway Icefall (basically a very steep part of the glacier as it comes down from the tall mountains of the Wrangell Range), but due to the weather and bad visibility we did not get that part of the trip.


That evening after dinner we were still a little cold. And our tent was still wet from the rain the night before.


Even though it had stopped raining already (and actually turned into a very nice Labor Day Monday), we decided to make the long drive back to Anchorage that night. We arrived just after 2 am and spent Monday resting and relaxing.

(a police officer rolled up to us as were taking this picture wondering what we were possibly doing)

Steven

Valdez

We were lucky this summer to have many visitors! The most recent one being my cousin Emily! We took her to Valdez, Alaska (#58) to see the amazing waterfalls, glaciers, pipeline and abundant wildlife! We started out the drive on Friday afternoon after work. We had booked 2 nights at a local Valdez bed and breakfast. The drive would have been very scenic although it was dark by the time we turned off on the Richardson Highway from the Glenn Highway. It was also very foggy that evening too. However, we weren't worried as 2 weekend days were still ahead of us!

The next morning, we had a glacier and wildlife cruise booked with Stan Stephens. It was a 9-hour cruise to both the Meares and Colombia glaciers. We were excited because the skies cleared and it was actually pretty sunny!

The first glacier that we were going to go see was the Columbia Glacier (#54). However, there were lots of icebergs at that time, so we went to the Meares Glacier first, instead. Here is a picture of the icebergs!



While we were out cruising, we saw a commercial fishing boat. We learned that the boats sometimes have to wait until the fishing times open up. Then they work very hard and very fast until the fishing times end. There are also tender boats that go around to all of the small fishing boats and to buy and off-load all of the fish. This saves the fishing boats time and they do not have to go all the way back to the harbor.

We saw many animals on the cruise (#86). Puffins,
Seals,
Sea lions,
Orca whales,
and finally, humpback whales. We were very lucky that the humpback was "performing" for us! We sat and watched him for about 45 minutes!
Here is a picture of Emily and I in front of the Meares Glacier! It was a beautiful day and great to spend time with my cousin!
We even got to hold some glacier ice!

When we were coming back into port, we saw an oil tanker that was about to leave the port of Valdez , headed for the lower 48.
After the glacier cruise, we took a short drive around Valdez to see the waterfalls. They were very beautiful and the water was running very fast. The top one is Horse Tail Falls and the bottom one is called Bridal Veil Falls.
The next day on the drive back, we made a quick stop at Worthington Glacier (#113).


There were some nice views of the Wrangell Mountains.


And Emily got her picture by the trans-Alaska pipeline.
Finally, out last stop was at the Matanuska Glacier. A popular spot for all of our out-of-town guests. We got to do a glacier walk!



Rebekah

Crow Pass Trail

On July 21st I sprained my ankle playing softball. It hurt, but I finished the game and the next day I could barely tell anything had been wrong with my ankle. On July 28th, during the next softball game, I was sliding into second base and I sprained my ankle again. This time it hurt worse, but I still finished the game. By the time we got home it was already swollen and there was a golf ball sized protrusion on the side of my ankle. The next day it was worse. The third day it started bruising. I couldn't walk until Saturday (I just hopped around the apartment on 1 leg).

That weekend our friends Brian and Sarah told us they were hiking Crow Pass Trail (#28 on the list). Crow Pass Trail begins in Girdwood and rises fairly quickly to Crow Pass, the highest point along the Historic Iditarod Trail (which some may remember we saw the sign for the historic starting point in Seward). It is about 3.5 miles one way to the top and we had originally just planned on hiking up and back.

However, the trail continues for a total of 24 miles through Chugach State Park to Eagle River. And the entire hike from Girdwood to Eagle River is what our friends were doing. It is supposed to be a great hike, so we said yes contingent on my ankle.

Well after resting and rehabbing the ankle, as well as consulting with a medical professional (my sister Christina), we decided to give it a go. We rented backpacking packs from REI and purchased freeze dried meals (surprisingly good). Early Saturday morning we made the drive down to Girdwood where we met up with 2 more friends and began our ascent.

The hike up was gorgeous. You pass by some mining remnants. The most notable are the heavy duty metal cables that cross the steep pass in a few places. We took our time and didn't press too hard, since after all we had an additional 20 miles to go after reaching the summit.

The weather was overcast, but it was warm and wasn't raining so we didn't complain. At the top we met up with 4 more friends who had camped there the night before. Right as you reach the top of the pass Raven Glacier comes into view. It is a fairly large glacier that dug out the valley we would be hiking in for the rest of the day.


After pausing for some pictures we began the descent. On the way down we came across some snow patches (left over from the previous winter).


Most were tiny and crossed without problem, but the last one we came across was rather large and steep. The crossing was towards the top of the snow patch and there was about 50 feet of snowy slope beneath us before it ended in rocks. Rebekah and I were the last to cross, so unfortunately the foot holds had become rather worn and slippery. We slowly made our way across with the help of poles, but the tracks were just too worn. Rebekah slipped and slid about 5 feet down where she caught herself again (as she screamed "Steven!!!"). As she tried to take her next step her legs went completely out from under her. She slid all the way down to the bottom, but with the help of the pole and her feet was able to control her speed and stopped short of the rocks. I slipped down a few feet as well, but was able to make it over to the other edge without additional incident.


At the bottom was our first river crossing (there is typically only 1, but the rain level was high and this creek was above all of the stepping stones). I had bought cheap flip flops for the crossing, which I realized was a mistake as upon my first stop the flip flop slipped off my foot and floated away. We stopped for lunch shortly after as we watched a rather large Black Bear roaming around the slope (and what looked like 2 hunters tracking it).

From there the hike was mostly flat and the going was easier.


We came across a bridge over an impressive waterfall flowing down into a gorge (the same creek we had earlier forded).


Right after the bridge it began to rain. The trail took us deep into some brush for the next few miles. There were roots and stumps in the trail, but the brush made it hard to see the ground. The rain made the trail muddy and slippery. Morale was low and we hiked quickly and silently hoping for the weather to clear.

In one clearing we noticed a moose up ahead. One big old male with a giant rack eating right next to the trail. We waited about 10 minutes and he finally moved off far enough for us to safely pass (but still close enough to get a decent picture).

Now I wore my winter boots with winter socks (only ones I had high enough to wear with the boots) on this first day to give my ankle some support. However, the heavy boots made my feet sweat which led to blisters. And it was about this point in the hike that I began to notice them. They hurt worse and worse with each step until just about the point where I could no longer walk we came across a campsite along the trail. Since the campsite was just before the main river crossing (also known as the halfway point) we decided to set up camp.

Luckily, right after we set up camp the rain stopped and we were able to set up a fire to warm up and dry off. Without that break it would have been a long, wet night. To save on space we had bought a new tent (the Hiker/Biker II) and new smaller fleece sleeping bags. They were both much smaller and lighter than the current ones we owned. However, we neglected to notice the tent was technically classified as a 1 person tent. And I would say it was barely that. The tent was shaped like a long diamond, with the longest points being in the middle on top and the middle on the bottom. And if I was stretched out by myself in the tent my head was pressing against the top and my feet were pressing against the bottom. And Rebekah had to sleep there as well. On top of this, the sleeping bags were not nearly warm enough. And we had no pillows. Needless to say it was a fairly miserable night of shivering, tossing, and turning.

The next morning we woke up rejuvenated (kind of) and to sunshine! We quickly made up camp, ate breakfast, and headed for the river. Now the river is cold (it begins at a nearby glacier) and the bottom is very rocky. And I had lost my flip flops so I was crossing barefoot. And I already had blisters on my feet. We crossed in pairs and had some difficulty with our pair. Rebekah wanted to hurry since the water was freezing and I wanted to go slow since if I didn't step in just the right spot the sharp edges of the rocks would dig into my feet. Finally, we made it to the other side, rested, and changed.

I got to pop and clean my blisters (the ones that didn't pop from the rocky crossing) and put on Second Skin, new socks, and my tennis shoes (which I decided to go with on the second day for comfort).


We finally got back to hiking and this day was definitely easier going. The trail was open, it was flat, and much more interesting. We had to deal with ladders,


and ropes, and many different types of river crossings (luckily all out of the water).


The only real concern on this day was the bears. This area has a very large Brown Bear population and there was bear scat everywhere. On some spots on the trail we would see bear scat every 20 feet (and this was just looking on the trail itself). Luckily, and probably due to our large group size, we did not see a single bear the entire second day.

We just hiked enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. There were some very large waterfalls along the way.

Finally we began to see signs of civilization. However, no one told us (and we failed to realize) that the first signs of civilization we would see (which were actual signs from the Eagle River Nature Center) were still 3 miles away from the Nature Center and the parking lot. Those last 3 miles were torture. We knew we were close, but didn't know how close. We were exhausted. We were hungry (we skipped lunch to try and get back at a reasonable hour since we all had to work the next day). Our shoulders were sore from carrying the pack. Our legs ached. My feet ached. Somehow my ankle was fine and hurt the least out of any part of legs.

After all of that we did make it to our car. We collapsed, then drove immediately to Red Robin where we devoured burgers, milkshakes, beers, and about 4 helpings of their endless fries. We slept very well that night.

I hope this post didn't come across as complaining, but I wanted you to know the ordeals that went into this hike. It was definitely worth the adventure and I would do it again or another one like it, just maybe in another year or two. I think it definitely completes #36 on the list of hiking throughout Chugach State Park.


Steven